


Our Slates Are Clean (Just Twin Fire Signs, Four Blue Eyes)

by modernpatroclus



Series: Summer Lovin' [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Mild Angst, olicity road trip, post 3x23
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-08
Updated: 2015-07-27
Packaged: 2018-04-08 08:40:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4298130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/modernpatroclus/pseuds/modernpatroclus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Do you ever wonder what would’ve happened if we’d met before the island? Like, college days?” Oliver mused quietly, absent-mindedly rubbing Felicity’s back.<br/>One night, Felicity can’t sleep, so Oliver takes the opportunity to learn about the old Felicity.<br/>Road trip fluff<br/>Chapter two prompt: "Can we get a follow up with Mama Smoak and the pictures in question? I need to see Oliver's reaction lol."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I Want to Learn Everything about You

**Author's Note:**

> The title is from State of Grace by Taylor Swift.  
> I hope you enjoy. :) Feedback is welcome (and much appreciated)!

“Do you ever wonder what would’ve happened if we’d met before the island? Like, college days?” Oliver mused quietly, absent-mindedly rubbing Felicity’s back.

They were laying tangled together in a queen sized hotel bed somewhere along the coast, no clue which state they were in by this point. They’d stopped keeping track a few weeks in, preferring to just drive until they found an appealing place to stop for as short or long a stretch as they wanted before moving on. They found each other much more interesting, keeping the focus on their new relationship instead.

Felicity had been tossing and turning for a good twenty minutes when Oliver – being such a light sleeper himself, he couldn’t fall asleep with her constant movement – decided to help her. He started tracing soothing patterns into her skin with his gentle (only for her) fingers and murmuring questions about her he didn’t yet know the answers to in the dark, the only light coming from the moon shining faintly through the thin hotel curtains.

Felicity’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “I don’t think college-me would’ve liked college-you very much,” she replied with a laugh.

It was his turn to raise an eyebrow. “What makes you say that?” he questioned, the defensiveness in his tone making her grin.

“Frat boys were _not_ my type.”

“What were you like in college?” He knew who she hung out with and what she did, but he didn’t know much about _her._ And when he’d shown up at that warehouse where she was being held by her psycho ex-boyfriend, he’d heard him say that she’d changed. From what, he wanted to know.

“Lots of black,” Felicity admitted.

Given her always colorful wardrobe, Oliver was surprised. “Really? Is that what . . . uh, Cooper meant when he’d said you changed?”

Felicity slightly cringed at the memory, still not as far in the past as she’d like it to be. “Yeah. I used to be pretty rebellious. Which, I guess can’t be that shocking, considering how many times I’ve broken the law in the last three years alone,” she reminded herself. “But, like, a different kind. Like I hated all the popular kids and listened to loud, angry music and had a bit of an attitude problem. But honestly, what twenty year old doesn’t?”

“I certainly did,” Oliver admitted, letting everything she’d just told him sink in. He was trying to picture it in his mind: a slightly younger Felicity, dressed in all black – including her hair, which he’d learned recently when she insisted she get it done the other day due to her dark roots beginning to show – and angry at the world instead of viewing it with her almost rose colored glasses the way she did now, never letting the horrible experiences of the last three years taint her good heart.

He envied that about her, but he admired it even more. It was one of the things he loved most about Felicity. He’d faced people in the last eight years who hadn’t been through half as much as she had, who felt that they had the right to do horrible things and hurt people. But not Felicity. She was kind-hearted, loyal almost to a fault, fiercely protective, and emotionally strong. How she fell in love with him was still a mystery to Oliver, but he wasn’t about to question it. If that was her one character flaw (he really couldn’t think of any others; even when she’d put herself in danger to save others, he couldn’t be angry – after all, he did the same), he was grateful for it.

“I can’t wait till we visit your mom in Vegas. I’m dying to see old pictures of you,” he said, grinning when Felicity’s mouth fell open in shock.

“You are _evil_ when you’re happy!”

He just laughed and wrapped his arms around her while she playfully shoved at his chest. Truthfully, she loved seeing Oliver’s playful side. She may not have known him before he was changed by the island, forged from a naïve playboy into a human weapon before growing into the man she knew and loved. But in moments like this, with him smiling at and teasing her, she wondered if this was what it would’ve been like. She knew “Ollie” (she even cringed _thinking_ the nickname) was too charming for his own good, but he always had a good heart; she didn’t have to know him back then to be sure of that.

Felicity liked to think that she got the best parts of him. Now that Oliver was taking the time to get to know himself, away from the stresses of vigilante life, the pieces were coming together like a puzzle: the happy and carefree boyfriend, the man overflowing with more love than he knew what to do with, and the hero who would do anything to save both people he loved and people didn’t know.

Felicity relaxed in Oliver’s embrace when he started to play with her hair, something he’d learned made her absolutely melt at some point in their summer excursion. Honestly, they were having the time of their lives getting to know each other in normal circumstances, the domesticity exciting rather than boring. It was so new, so different than how they’d been with each other before.

They’d only had one date before they left Starling, and it ended in an explosion instead of a goodnight kiss on her doorstep or coming in for coffee. And neither of them had successful long-term relationships before they met: Oliver screwed his up by cheating with a girl who he’d narrowly avoided fathering a child with, and the girlfriend’s sister. Oh, and then stranding said sister on an island called Purgatory for years. And though Felicity’s history wasn’t quite so complicated or her fault, it was still equally messy, with her college boyfriend having ended up in prison and not-really-dying-but-secretly-working-for-a-top-secret-agency before turning out to be not only alive, but kind of evil.

So yeah, they were loving the “boring” normal couple life. And while deep down neither of them expected – nor really wanted – it to last forever, they would graciously eat up every second of it they had while it lasted before the vigilante life came calling. This time, though, they would answer it together.

When Felicity stayed silent for a few minutes too long, Oliver looked down at her, only to find her finally asleep, her head pillowed on his chest. He sighed in contentment. He was exactly where he wanted to be, with the only person he needed.With a small smile on his face, Oliver drifted off to sleep next to his best friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Feedback is highly appreciated.


	2. Show Me Your Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "Love this! Can we get a follow up with Mama Smoak and the pictures in question? I need to see Oliver's reaction lol."  
> There's still somewhere Felicity and Oliver haven't gone on their trip: Vegas. They head out West and give Felicity's childhood home a visit. Her mother, of course, has to pull out the photo album.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, when I said that this would be up in a few days, I lied. Sorry! But it ended up being much longer than I intended to make it, and I didn't have internet access for a while. Enough excuses, though.  
> Here's part two, as requested by EyesLikeLiquidFire.

The middle of July found Felicity and Oliver pulling up in front of her childhood home, a small one-story house in a little neighborhood outside the hustle and bustle of the Vegas Strip.

Felicity’s mother, Donna Smoak, was standing in the driveway in a brightly colored skin-tight dress that had Felicity cringing in embarrassment. Beside her, Oliver laughed at her groan as he parked the Porsche, prompting a glare from Felicity.

“I think you’re forgetting who here has the over-protective woman in six inch heels with claws for nails on her side and who doesn’t.”

“That is true. She seemed to like me enough the first time we met, but I don’t think she’d stay so friendly if I did anything to hurt you.”

“Oh, please. My mother loves you – possibly more than me.”  
Oliver rolled his eyes, knowing – well, hoping – that she was just kidding and didn’t actually believe that. He’d seen the way Donna swallowed down her fear with a gun in her face to defend her daughter. It reminded him of his own mother’s sacrifice for him and his sister.

Oliver smiled to himself, thinking that if things had gone differently and his mother had lived, Moira Queen would have loved the Smoak women. Eventually, at least. Once she got to know them.

He knew Felicity and Moira clashed at one point, though he didn’t know the details. He knew it had something to do with Felicity telling him about Malcolm – of course; what problem in their lives _didn’t_ he have a hand in? – being Thea’s father.

But he also figured it had to do with his being the Arrow. Moira had known about his secret, so surely she figured out that Felicity was more than just his glorified secretary. She had a lot of faults, but her fierce protection of her children was one of her more admirable ones. Although she was proud of what he was doing as the vigilante, Oliver knew it had to worry her. And Felicity was helping him put his life at risk every night. Perhaps she was trying to protect him in her own misguided way. (That was another constant thorn in their side over the years: Moira trying to protect her children in the worst possible ways.)

Once Felicity and Moira got past whatever their big problem was – and Donna’s and Moira’s _quite_ different personalities and social statuses – Oliver knew they would all get along. Felicity and her mother had an impressive way of making everyone they met fall in love with them (something he had a lot of experience in). And Felicity was one of the strongest people he’d ever known, something she had in common with his mother. They may not have liked each other, but Oliver knew the two women respected each other. Moira resented Felicity at the time for revealing her secret, but she sure as hell had to give her props for basically giving her boss the finger and doing what her conscience told her to anyway. (Oliver assumed she’d threatened his friend, anyway; he very clearly remembered the emotional conversation wherein Felicity opened up, however little she’d revealed, for the first time about her family and fears of abandonment.)

The sound of Donna’s heels clacking on the pavement as she ran up to the car broke his thinking. As soon as Felicity was out of the car, Donna was pulling her daughter in for a huge hug. She wrapped her arms around her daughter and squealed excitedly, prompting a sound of trepidation from Felicity.

“You made it! Finally! You guys left Starling, what, like two months ago? Though that’s nothing, compared to the four years since the last time Felicity came out to visit me. I swear, we’d never see each other if I didn’t go see you,” Donna chided. She kept her tone light though. She and Felicity had had enough “You-Left-Me” and “Sometimes-I-Swear-I’m-Adopted” talks during their last two visits.

Felicity groaned, pulling out of the hug. “I’m sorry, Mom, but I told you, I’ve been busy.”

“Yeah, yeah, save it. You’re a terrible liar, Felicity,” Donna teased. Then she turned to Oliver, who had been fondly watching the mother-daughter exchange from the side. “Oliver! How have you been? Taking care of our girl?” His grin widened. She barely knew him, and yet she effortlessly accepted his place in her daughter’s life. Felicity may not be able to, but Oliver could see so many similarities in the two women, from their hidden strength to their sunny dispositions.

“Of course. Though, to be honest, she doesn’t need me as much as I need her.” The blush that rose on Felicity’s face was just what he wanted.

“You’re such a cheese, Oliver.” She playfully shoved his chest, and he caught her wrists, holding them to his chest.

“Don’t pretend you don’t love it, Felicity.”

It was true. Since leaving their old lives behind and discovering themselves, both as a couple and as individuals, Felicity had learned that Boyfriend Oliver Queen was her favorite version of him. Present day, though; she had to give Laurel props for dealing with Ollie and _still_ giving him a second chance post-island. Felicity was sure she wouldn’t have.

Donna’s amused giggle broke them from their bubble.

“Well, come on in! You don’t wanna stand around in this heat all day. You said it actually _snows_ in Starling?” Her mother’s child-like wonder always made Felicity smile. Donna was a force of nature herself.

“Yes, and let me tell you that I have _not_ missed this dry heat. I can already feel a sunburn coming on,” Felicity joked, holding out a suntanned arm and inspecting it for emphasis. Their summer trip had done wonders for her complexion, both with the sun and the way it had been making her constantly smile.

They all headed inside where Felicity noted that everything still looked the same.

“Well, I don’t spend a lot of time here since you left. It’s too quiet.”

Felicity ignored the slight pang of guilt in her chest and said, “Well, mom, you could always move out east.”

Donna laughed as she gestured to the kitchen table for them to sit. “You’re just saying that ‘cause you know I never will. You think you’re _so slick_ , Felicity. But I know how your mind works, even if I don’t get what it comes up with.”

Felicity snorted as she took a seat next to Oliver and across from the remaining one. “You think _I’m_ slick? I know you, too, mom. You don’t give yourself enough credit. That dumb blonde routine doesn’t work on other blondes.”

“You dye it,” Donna reminded, turning the attention off of herself.

“Yeah, but you don’t, so I still have the recessive trait for it.”

“Did I ever tell you you’re cute when you talk nerd?” Oliver teased.

 _“No_. Did I ever tell you you’re cute when you’re not being annoying?” she fired back. Another thing Felicity was loving about this trip was that it let them get back to their old flirty banter they used to have before their explosive first date ruined everything.

“No, but it’s nice to hear,” he joked.

“Oh, you’re both adorable,” Donna said as she rummaged around the kitchen, preparing something.

Oliver grinned at Felicity while she rolled her eyes, biting her lip to hide her smile.

Yeah, they kinda were.

* * *

After dinner was cleaned up, Felicity took Oliver’s hand and pulled him up, leading him into the small living room connected to the kitchen. She led him to the couch where she pushed him down to sit. He didn’t try to hide his amusement. (After all, it was useless; she could read him like a book.) She grabbed the remote from the coffee table and flicked on the small TV. But she didn’t sit down yet; instead, she went over to a shelf he couldn’t fully see from his spot.

“What are you doing?” Oliver asked after a minute of watching her rifle through whatever was on the shelf.

“Picking a movie,” she called over her shoulder. “If my mother’s planning on embarrassing me by bringing out childhood photos – which I _know_ she is – then I’m going to keep myself entertained, too.”

Oliver perked up at this. “Photos? I need to see these.”

Felicity whipped around in a blink and threw a nearby pillow at him. He caught it easily and set it down, smiling at her. Felicity went back to her searching until she found one she wanted to watch. She walked up to the TV and popped the disc in the DVD player before going to sit pretzel-style next to Oliver on the couch. She leaned into his side and he put his arm around her, grabbing a blanket from the back of the couch and draping it over them.

“What movie did you pick?” he asked quietly, pressing a kiss to her hair.

“Spider-Man. Not the new one; the old one that seemingly everybody hates but me.”

“Ah, something I’ve actually seen. Nice pick,” he commended.

Then a grinning Donna emerged from a hallway Oliver had not yet been down, carrying what he assumed was the aforementioned photo album. Oliver let a matching grin creep onto his face.

“Don’t enjoy it too much, Queen. I will make you sleep alone on this couch tonight,” Felicity threatened. They both knew it was a lie; even though they’d gone their whole lives – save for that too short night in Nanda Parbat – without sleeping beside each other, and they’d only been doing it for two months, Felicity and Oliver were more used to sleeping together than apart now. And Felicity would never make him spend another night uncomfortable if she could help it. She was sure he’d had more sleepless nights in the last eight years than anyone should have to endure in two lifetimes.

Nevertheless, he played along. “That’s a little harsh, don’t you think? Then again, maybe I’d actually get some blankets if I slept alone.” His tone was playful and he had a mischievous look in his eyes.

Felicity’s jaw fell open. “Wow, Oliver, tell me how you really feel.” She was feigning annoyance, but let it slip away right after.

“Well, in that case, I’ll tell you that I love you.” He leaned down and captured her lips with his in a short but sweet kiss.

“You two are like a married couple. I don’t know if I wanna “Aw” or puke,” Donna said, once again pulling them out of their little bubble. She remembered being in love like that once. Hopefully, though, her daughter’s taste was better than hers and she had chosen a man who would stick around.

She knew Felicity and Oliver had had issues getting together, but from what she had seen in the few hours they’d been with her, those were all but solved. There was no hesitance or reticence between the two now. Donna could only be happy for her daughter, who deserved the world but was always screwed over by the men in her life. Seeing her so carefree now, she’d take back every word she’d said about Felicity not visiting her. If everything she’d been doing for the last few years led her to right now, Donna could not begrudge her. She’d just have to make sure to make it out to visit her more often.

Donna sat next to Oliver on the couch and laid the photo album on the coffee table in front of them, opening it up to the first page.

Felicity took a deep breath and prepared herself for a _long_ night.

* * *

“Ooh! This one’s my favorite from when she was really little,” Donna said excitedly, pointing to one of a little brunette girl in too big glasses and a Yoda costume with a beaming smile and a plastic lightsaber.

“You were a nerd back then, too,” Oliver teased, gently elbowing her side and prompting a groan from Felicity. She had just been trying to tune them both out completely and focus on Peter Parker figuring out his new superpowers, but it was a petty attempt.

“Shut up, Mr. I-Like-to-Pee-on-Cop-Cars Queen.”

Oliver just laughed and shrugged, knowing there was little defending his younger spoiled self.

In another, a slightly older Felicity was sitting in a man’s lap, both of them looking at a mess of an old computer that was half-put together. She had an adorable look of concentration on her seven year old face, and the man had a faint smile on his as he worked, probably explaining things to her. He was also wearing glasses, big round frames that were definitely not like the thick squared ones everyone wore nowadays. They had the same dark brown hair, and Oliver had a pretty good guess of who this man was.

When she saw the picture, Felicity froze. It was the last one taken of her father before he left, and aside from that one, there were only a few more.

Oliver felt her tense up from beside him and squeezed her hand in comfort, knowing it was not enough for all of the pain she’d been through from this man – not counting himself or the others he both did and did not know about – but knowing that he would always try to offer as much comfort as he could.

After a minute, Felicity looked up at him to find him already studying her, so she crooked up one side of her mouth in a half-smile of what she hoped was reassurance. Of course, he knew her better. And because of that, he also knew not to push the issue, especially when they weren’t alone. Felicity was strong, and she would tell him on her own time about the mysterious man that, for all of the pain he’d caused his girl, Oliver could never hate because he was the reason she even existed. And like he had told Felicity after the mess with her ex-boyfriend: he was glad for her past experiences that brought her to him. He hated that she had to feel any suffering, but he knew that if she hadn’t – as with himself and everything after the Gambit sank – she wouldn’t be the person she was today. So he would stick to hating the people that hurt her and being grateful for the way she came out on the other side, maintaining her good heart and kind spirit all the while.

It was Oliver’s turn to freeze when Donna turned the page and the next picture was one of a goth-looking Felicity with her arm slung around none other than the ex-boyfriend who held a gun to her face a few months ago after revealing that he wasn’t dead. Oliver sucked in a breath of air, trying to reign in his anger.

Felicity felt a sharp pang of sadness at seeing the photo. Before he was arrested, Cooper was a good guy. He loved her and she loved him, and they had fun together. But those good memories would be forever tainted by what he’d done after he let his crucible ruin him.

That was one of the huge differences between Oliver and Cooper: Oliver didn’t let all of his horrible experiences turn him into a bad person. Even when he first came back from the island and was a cold killer, Oliver always did what he thought was right. Cooper, on the other hand, became a selfish and bitter man, willing to kill someone he once claimed to care about for moving on in life without him.

Donna sensed the tension coming from both of them – not that the memory of being kidnapped and held at gunpoint with her daughter was exactly _her_ favorite – and tried to ease it with a teasing, “Your taste in men has improved a lot since college, ‘Lissy.”

It worked when she let out a huff for a laugh and Oliver cracked a small smile.

“Yeah, you always said Cooper was no good.”

“Mother’s Intuition is always right. Remember that for when you have kids,” Donna said, winking at her mortified daughter and her flustered boyfriend. She laughed at their reactions. They must not have discussed _that_ yet.

* * *

Later that night, after the dreaded photos were put away, Felicity and Oliver were pressed tightly together in her old twin-sized bed, just talking.

“Yup, I was right to be scared. You and my mother get along scary-well. Honestly, I’m kind of terrified to leave you two alone. You’d probably plot something against me.”  
Oliver’s answering grin did little to reassure her. “Well, you and Thea seemed to have gotten pretty close while I was gone. If one of us should be scared, it’s definitely me.”

“Don’t tell me Oliver Queen can’t handle a couple of girls,” Felicity teased.

 “But you’re not just a couple of girls. You’re my girlfriend and my little sister, who also happen to be a genius and a vigilante,” Oliver defended, though he was trying not to smile. Felicity let one break out on her face at the word “girlfriend.” It was just so normal, and she didn’t think she’d ever get used to it. Not that she was complaining.

He could complain and feign annoyance all he wanted, but they both knew Oliver loved how well Felicity and Thea were getting along. And so did Felicity.

Despite the little family she’d made in the last three years with Digg, Roy, and Oliver, Felicity needed other women in her life. Sara was her first actual girlfriend in Starling, and her loss still hit Felicity hard when she’d think about it too late at night.

Laurel was becoming a great friend, much to both of their surprise. They discovered that they had more in common than just their mutual heartbreaks over both Oliver and Sara. She never said anything out loud, but Felicity was initially afraid they would clash because of their personalities. They were both extremely strong-willed and stubborn, and Felicity was sure that would cause a riff. But other than some tension early on when Laurel first joined the team and tried to step a little too far into Felicity’s well-established territory, the two women got along great.

Team Arrow was steadily gaining permanent female members, and Felicity loved it. She loved her boys, and she couldn’t have asked for anyone better. But she was not about to trade in their new additions anytime soon.

“We’re looking through your old pictures next, Queen.”

Oliver’s eyes widened. “I don’t have any.”

“You are still a terrible liar. Good thing I have Thea’s number. I’m _sure_ she’ll be willing to dig some up for me.”

Oliver groaned. “ _This_ is why I’m scared. You two being friends is going to be the death of me, isn’t it? I can’t trust you together.”

“Yup,” she replied, popping her lips on the ‘p’ and grinning up at him. “You won’t ever get your way again.”

He tried to protest, but she came right back with an argument. “Hey, I flew around in my ex-boyfriend’s supersuit and saved you from falling to a watery death. And even with the suit, you’re still really heavy. I think the least you can do is let me tease you about bad haircuts and embarrassing phases you went through. Or I could just find ones online from your partying days?” she offered, already knowing the answer.

He conceded with an, “Ugh, fine. At least when I was a kid I was kind of cute.”

“You’re still cute. Most of the time. Not when you’re laughing at me with my mother.”

Oliver laughed. “Hey, you were definitely a cuter kid than me.”

“Well, I guess we’ll find out when we see the pictures, won’t we?”

“I’m definitely scared now.”

Felicity grinned wickedly at him. “Good. You should be.”

He tackled her to the bed and tickled her, silencing her threats with her laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Any feedback is appreciated. :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. :)


End file.
